Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-04-14

will, understand, give series of receptions
as soon as Lent is over During the coming
social season she will probably entertain
largely, and her house will vie with Mrs. Whit
ney's as the leading social center of the Cleve-
land administration. Mrs. Fairchild is well
fitted for such a position. She is a well
formed, blue eyed rosy checked blonde, well
educated and thoroughly up in society mat
tiers. She is good talker, reads several Ian
guages and, am told, has lately been MAX
ing a study Of the Dutch, the tongue of her
forefathers.
Secretary Fairchilds home in Washington
is in the best part of the fashionable north
west 1t is on the corner of Connecticut and
Massachusetts avenues, just across from
Blaine's big house and stones throw from
the Chinese legation. Secretary Manning
lived within rod or so of it, and it is not far
away from the big mansion of the British
legation Mrs. Fairchild's mother, Governor
Seymours sister, lives with her. There are
no children in the family, and Mrs. Fairchild
is an only child. -.
1t was very amusing to note the attempts
of the various senator's during the late trip
to Cuba at the pronunciation of Spanish.
Mr.. Babcock, Senator Sbermans private sec
Rotary, could hardly be persuaded to utter an
English word, and Senator Palmer, by the
rolling out OF such words as Terra del Fuego
and q mixture of bastard Latin, attempted
to keep up the reputation which he had made
in Detroit as Spanish scholar. The story
CT this reputation is worth telling. Senator
Palmer, as young man, went to Spain in a
sailing vessel, and Travelled throughout the
country enough to acquire pretty fair pro-
nunciation. He knew but few Spanish words,
however, and as for making a speech in Span
ish, without the aid of diction-
airy, he could about as easily make
one in Assyrian Off hand. Not long ago
a Mexican delegation, travelling through
the United States, stopped at Detroit.
Senator Palmer was appointed to make
speech upon their reception. He con-
cluded to surprise them by giving them a
speech in Spanish. He went to Spanish
scholar Of his acquaintance and had him write
q speech for him. This, by the aid of his ex-
perience in Spain, he was able to pronounce
correctly, and he committed it to memory,
putting in gestures and pathos, the senti-
ment required. When the Mexicans as
sembled before him he rolled out this speech
in the soft, mellow tones of their language,
and to the surprise of all, brought down ap-
plause at every period. When his speech was
over the Mexicans crowded around him and
attempted to engage him in Spanish converse
ton. He tried for moment to show that he
could not talk Spanish, and finally had to pre-
tend that he was deaf in order to escape from
them.
He is a wonderfully versatile fellow, this
senator from Michigan. He has wide
knowledge Of history, and he has as many
strange bits of information packed away in
the recesses Of his brain as he has dollars in
his bank account. He can tell good story,
sing good song and he takes life easier and
gets more out of it than any other public man
| know. During the trip to Cuba he was the
life of the party, and he is as pleasant a
travelling companion as you will find in a
5welve month FRANK G.. CARPENTER